Ninedays

It's a new dawn for Nine Days. The St. James-based band best known for the No. 1 hit "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" has reunited after a lengthy hiatus, working on its first album since 2003 and planning a possible summer tour.

"I always felt we weren't done," says singer-guitarist John Hampson. "I had other things that I wanted to do, but it also feels so right being back together."

Hampson says he and guitarist Brian Desveaux, who has established a solo career in Nashville, have been working on songs together, as well as playing with bassist Nick Dimichino, drummer Vincent Tattanelli and keyboardist Jeremy Dean.

The band got together for a recent show at Rockwood Music Hall to celebrate, and since have planned a tour to show off its fresh start, with new arrangements and a horn section to help showcase the new material.

"It's so great to play in the band situation again," Hampson says. "We can walk in and play like we've never been apart -- we've played together too long. There's just this positive energy that makes everything very enjoyable."

While the band is certainly happy to play songs from its breakthrough album, 2000's "The Madding Crowd," Hampson says the current incarnation of Nine Days feels more like the band before its chart-topping success.

"When we first started, Brian and I thought we would be this type of music that had its roots in Bob Dylan and Neil Young," Hampson says. "We're closer to that now. We're playing songs where we think, 'This doesn't sound like us.' That feels really good. We can't wait to see where this year takes us."